While miserly Scrooge looks in through the window, the family tucks into steaming goose with sage and onion stuffing and gravy, potatoes and apple sauce, suet and plum pudding with burning holly on the top and lashings of brandy.

Delicious yes, but surprisingly healthy too!

Traditional Christmas fare consists of many nutritious foods that contain a wide range of important vitamins and minerals.

Cook cranberries with orange or pineapple juice and agave nectar (a sweetener) for a delicious sauce.

Leftover cranberry sauce can be used as a salad dressing.

Festive greens

Brussels sprouts, a Christmas day staple, are rich in vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium and fibre.

This festive vegetable falls into the cruciferous category of vegetables, which also includes broccoli and cabbage. These vegetables are high in powerful antioxidants, which researchers suggest may prevent cancer by promoting the elimination of potential carcinogens from the body.

Brussels sprouts can be difficult to digest and result in bloating for some people. Juicing, therefore, may be a good option, so try adding some into a smoothie to make them easier to digest.

Yuletide treats

The pudding also contains fibre-rich prunes, which may help to alleviate constipation.

Other ingredients in plum pudding include citrus fruits, which are high in vitamin C and may help to support a healthy immune system.

For a healthier plum pudding, use dried fruit instead of sugary candied fruit and add in a variety of extra nuts to boost the nutritional value - nuts are rich in selenium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin E and 'good' fats that are believed to promote good heart health.

Make this pudding healthier by replacing refined sugar with xylitol - this natural sugar has a lower impact on blood glucose levels and is twice as sweet as regular sugar, meaning that you don't have to use very much.

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